


A Knight of Masquerades

by glockmonkey



Category: N/A - Fandom
Genre: Gen, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Original Universe, Renaissance Faires, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-28
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-05 11:25:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21207749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glockmonkey/pseuds/glockmonkey
Summary: A framed villain tries to save the life of the hero’s sidekick.





	A Knight of Masquerades

**Author's Note:**

> Hi lads! This is my first post, and was originally a writing prompt for a class. Constructive criticism is appreciated!

Sometimes, the villain of one story is the hero of another. 

In the world of Jake King, otherwise known as Ebony Sword, otherwise known as the nefarious, evil, arch-nemesis of the most famous superhero of all time, this is the case.

Six years ago, he’d been a freelance detective, who’d found links between the most famous philanthropist on Earth, Alexander LeRue, and hundreds of bank robberies. Being as curious as one would be in this situation, he’d begun a solo investigation on the matter. The rest is history- he’d questioned the wrong person, LeRue found out, and Jake had found himself being framed for vandalism, breaking and entering, and robbery, at a renaissance fair, of all places. He’d become a villain out of a comic book, Ebony Sword, his knight costume as his namesake. In honor of his attire, LeRue had come to be Masquerade, protector of the people, billionaire philanthropist, as well as part-time bank robber and fraudster.

As time went on, the act became more and more extreme: Ebony Sword making a move towards his own freedom, and having it blow up in his face, while Masquerade made a crime out of either his or his enemy’s mistakes and pinning it on Ebony Sword. 

Today, our beloved villain, Jake King, sits in his apartment, watching the news like always. He doesn't know why he still does: all the reporters do is rag on him. He's about to turn it off when something catches his attention.

“...yesterday, our very own Batman, Masquerade, has decided to hire a Robin: the newly named Plume Arcenciel is joining your favourite hero in the fight against Ebony Sword- here he is now! Plume, how did you come across this remarkable summer job?”

The camera pans towards a young man- no a kid- no older than 16.

“Jesus, he’s got fresh blood again,” Jake mutters.

Masquerade has hired sidekicks before. They always seem to meet their end one way or another: technology malfunctions, tripwire accidents, capes caught were they aren’t meant to be.

“...was just doing my best to help someone in danger, then Masquerade showed up…”

Jake hadn’t actually killed any, but most are pinned on him one way or another, even though they’re all LeRue’s fault: carelessness, accidents, or straight up murder seem to be the downfall of every one.

“...helped evacuate the citizens, he’s real good at that…”

Jake’s worried how fast that kid’s future might end- he wants to stop this poor fanboy’s life from being cut short like every other sidekick, but he knows it will end badly.

“...he offered me this awesome job, and well, how could I refuse?...”

Last time, well, that was the opposite of great…

Jake sits up to turn off the television. It’s getting late. He knows he’ll have to deal with the sidekick’s hero debut tomorrow, and he doesn’t want to be killed by a stray laser beam he was too tired to notice. 

Why do I even go through with all this bull? he wonders.

Can’t I just leave?

New York’s getting old anyway.

~

“Mr. King,” says a voice.

“What do you mean, he’s not really a hero?

“Liar.

“Crook.

Villain.”

Jake wakes up from the dream in a cold sweat. He’s about to find a glass of water to calm his nerves, when he heard a noise. Footsteps.

He takes a pistol from a drawer. It isn’t loaded, but it works as a good bluff. He’s had fanatics find his apartment before, but, lucky for Jake, most are too scared to face a supervillain wielding a gun. 

Jake moves towards the door on light feet, and peers around the corner: just to see a teenager staring back at him through the darkness. He lowers his gun. He’s not about to threaten the life of a kid- that kind of stuff can stay with someone for years. It’s probably just a kid looking for trouble-

Wait.

That’s the kid from the news, he thinks.

This is bad.

Quick as lightning, Jake pulls him back through the doorway, careful to keep his hand over the kid’s mouth. 

If the sidekick is here, Jake thinks, the hero must be here too. Closing the door carefully, he loosens his grip on the teenager. 

“Don’t scream, and I won’t hurt you,” he says, releasing him.

~

Felix is not having the best day. 

Yesterday! Yesterday was great. He got to become the sidekick to the legendary Masquerade! But today…

Ugh.

Today, he’s being held captive by a supervillain, who’s holding a gun towards the general direction of his face. He barely has time to catch his breath after he’s released before his captor tells him, “Don’t scream, and I won’t hurt you.”

Felix doesn’t scream, like any sensible person would.

“First question: is he with you?” Ebony Sword asks in a whisper.

Who? Felix almost asks. Ah. Right. Masquerade. 

Wow. The Masquerade.

“...yeah,” Felix responds instead, shaking himself mentally. Lying isn’t going to do me any good.

Ebony Sword curses softly, and seems to debate something mentally. He paces, keeping the gun trained on Felix. 

Is he going to shoot anyway?

I’m doing everything he tells me to do.

This isn’t going as well as Felix thought his first mission would. Ebony Sword had killed Masquerade’s sidekicks before- he’d even kidnapped one before, the press said. Tried to convert him to his side. It hadn’t worked.

Felix raises his head. 

I’d rather look death in the eye than let it take me blind, he thinks.

Ebony’s looking down, now. 

“Question two: can you scale a five-story building?”

~

Jake can’t believe he’s doing this.

The kid can’t quite believe it either.

“Maybe?” he answers, his head tilted in confusion.

“I’ll tell you something: last time I did, it didn’t go too well, but I’ll take the chance. Better to stop you from giving in to all this bull.

“Masquerade’s a fraud. He’s been robbing banks - and lives - for years now, and no one knows a thing. They think it’s all me.” Jake hates himself for doing this, but he can’t let this kid keep living a lie. A kid, for Christ’s sake, Jake thinks in fury. Fury at the world, Masquerade, this whole bloody situation.

The kid’s probably not listening to a word he’s saying, but he’s not furious either. Not like last time.

~

“...so, kid, what you’re gonna do is get out of here, high-tail it all the way to Canada, and forget this ever happened. Got it?”

Almost fifteen minutes have passed since Ebony began his story.

Almost ten minutes have passed since Felix’s very own boss, his hero, left him alone, to die, in a supervillain’s apartment. He’d seen the car with his own eyes.

Almost five minutes have passed since Felix began to believe this crazy story.

Felix sighs. Sometimes, reality’s a real jerk. 

He opens the window.

~

Sometimes, the hero of one story is the villain of another. 

In the life of Jake King, otherwise known as Ebony Sword, otherwise known as killer of dreams, freer of sidekicks, and breaker of hearts, this is the case.

A week ago, Masquerade’s shiny new sidekick, Plume Arcenciel, was presumed dead after a valiant mission to finally end the rivalry between good and evil. No body was found. 

Jake hasn’t heard anything from the kid since. Masquerade’s got a new sidekick. 

Jake’s saved this kid from inevitable death, but at what cost?

At least he won’t die by the hands of a masked villain.

But will he be ruined by the hands of a bladed one?


End file.
